Marking machine



D. E. HARDING MARKING MACHINE April 29, 1930.

Filed Jan 6. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 'aZZw; 363

April 29, 1930. I D. E. HARDING 1,

MARKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, 1928 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 13:06: to) w /w Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITE stares FATE NT er DANA E. HARDING, .OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS ASSIGNOR TO HARDING ENGI- NEERINGYCOMPAN Y, OF'EAST BOSTON, IVIASSACHUS'ETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- SAOHUSETTS", I

' MARKING MACHINE:

Application filed an e, 1928. se ner No. 244,580.

My present invention relatestomarking machines, and more particularly to an improved drag mechan sm for use 1n connection therewith;

In the" patent issued a asunder No.

1,641,082 anddated August 30, 1927, I have described and claimed an improved marking machine for use in marking various characters, such as the weight or area on flexible material, such as leather, and in the machine therein illustrated, flexible material such as leather is fed through an area measuring machine, and as the measured material passes through the machine, the mechanism by means of which the area is visually in-,. dicated is associated with mechanism for setting a plurality of marking wheels to correspond with the area that is visually indicated and such marking wheels areoperated to impress on the flexible material'the area of the flexible material.

It has been found in the practical application ofthe above machine that sometimes blurring of the printed characters occurs due primarily to' the fact that'the flexible material is constantly being fed through the machine and there is an appreciable length of time in which the marking devices are in engagement with the flexible material. The

marking devices being stationary, as far as onward movement with respect to the machine is concerned and the leather being movable, the leather is dragged under the marking devices and the characters impressed are smooched. r V

In my present invention I have overcome I the difficulty above enumerated and have, in

carrying out my invention, associated with the marking devices and the frame carrying the same, a resilient brake or drag which is brought into engagement with the movable flexible material, ust prior to the engagement of the marking devices therewith and remains in engagement with such flexiblematerial until themarking devices are removed from engagement therewith. The effect of the resilient drag or brake on the flexible material is to maintain it stationary on the support regardless of the drag that may be exercised thereon by the conveying devices and to maintain such flexible material stationary during the time that the marking device is in engagement therewith. By the use of thisdevice, therefore,I have positively preventedjblurring of'smooching of the char acters impressed onv the flexible material by the marking devices. I i,

, The principal object of my invention, therefore, is anfimproved marking machine.

Another object of; my invention is an improved brake or drag for temporarily maintaining. the movable material stationary for a predetermined length of time. Other objects and novel features of the construction and arrangement of parts com- .prising my invention will appear as the de scription'of the device progresses. V I, In the accompanying drawings illustratlngthe preferred embodiment of my invention,

1s a s1de elevation;

Fig. 2 isa'plan view of one end of Fig.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan View of the cha-racter wheels and frame ,on whichthesame are mounted, as indicated in Fig. 1. I11 the accompanying drawings, 1O designates afbase or platform over which moves inany approved manner an. endless conveyor 11, and formingpart of the frame, ,of -the machine isa cross bar 12, on which is mount- V ed a laterally extending framework 13.

Formedintegral with the framework 13 are bearing'members 141 in which are rotatably the PatentfNo. 1,641,082 above referred to. i

The function of this mechanism is to set the character bearing wheels 17 inappropriate position to impress on the flexible material cured to the under side of the frame '16 by screws 23 is a member 24 ofresilient material and formed integral with said member 24 and at each end thereof are resilient arms 25 which, as will be obviousfrom an inspection of Fig. 3, lie on either side of the group of character wheels 17. Normally the position of the member 24 and arms 25 is such that the arms 25 are slightly below the character bearing wheel 17, as will be clearly seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, and when the frame 16 is rotated on this shaft 15, it will be obvious that the arms 25 will move into engagement with the flexible material 18 before the character bearing wheels 17 will engage with such flexible material- Therefore, the engagement of, the resilient arms 25 With the flexible ma teria'l 18 will cause a gripping action of such therewith by the character wheels, and to maintain the material being worked on at rest during the engagement of the character wheels therewith.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a pivotally mounted frame, a platen, character wheels carried by the pivotally mounted frame and adapted to engage with material passing over the platen, means to move the material over-the platen and be-- DANA HARDING.

flexible material by the arms 25 and the endless conveyor 11or the upper surface of the platform 10 and in this manner the flexible material 18 will he brought to restbefore the character wheels 17 engage therewith, and such flexible material will remain at rest until after the character bearing wheels 17 have been removed therefrom. With this construction, therefore, there isno relative movement betweenthe flexible material 18 and the character bearing wheels 17 at the instant such character bearing wheels 17 are in engagement with the flexible material and blurring or smooching of the characters impressed on the leather is prevented.

lVhile I have necessarily shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, somewhat in detail, it is to be understood that 1 may vary the size, shape, and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a deviceof the kind described, the combination of a pivotally mounted frame. a. plurality of character wheels rotatably mounted at the end thereof, a platen, an endless conveyor adapted to move material to beworked on over the platen, means for moving the frame about its pivot to bring the character wheels into engagement with the material being fedover the platen, a resilient member secured to said pivotally mounted frame and adapted to engage, with the moving material in advance of the. engagement 

